The hurl at the rock show

By Sanket ‘rock music in my veins’ Kambli

Though the title has analogy with a blink-182 track, this is not a punk music write up.
It isn’t even a gig review. It is more like a stupid attempt to fill up space. Let us begin the filling process. Last week at a rock show called Mosh Mania, there occurred an incident which successfully managed to ruin, a not so good image of rock music. This is what happened. Mosh-crazy rockers had assembled to dive into head banging frenzy. The band line-up was impressive with Helga’s Funk Castle, Zero, Them Clones, Pentagram (big names in Indian Rock Scene). Problem started when, a few among the crowd were bored by the lack of heavy music, and they decided to show their displeasure by throwing bottles at the stage, at that time pentagram had taken stage. This stupid act ticked off Pentagram front-man; he lost his temper, and started spitting expletives at the crowd on a whole. And the extent, to which he lost his temper, can be judged by the fact he managed to hurl the mike-stand at the crowd, and hurt an innocent bloke who was there to, just enjoy some live music. Here we should note that the blame is not only on the group which started the fiasco but also on Penta…. lead vox, who instead of trying to diffuse the situation diplomatically, showed a bloated rock star attitude. These people have maligned the not so good image of rock music, though everyone would say that the show must go on. And rock music cannot be killed by such stupid incidents by some dim-wited people. But the question remains unanswered, have people learnt something from this incident, if something of this sort happens again somewhere else, we will easily know it didn’t have the desired effect. So what can be done? Everything, but preaching, because we have a bad habit of not taking advice, anyway, we all know that, Rock and Roll will never die, period.

Stealth Movie Review:

By Sanket ‘frequent flier’ Kambli

Stealth is about a pilot-less futuristic fighter jet which goes rogue, and this rogue jet or EDI=Extreme Deep Invader(spelled as Eddy) makes the movie smarter and more ambitious than it first appears. Amid the dogfight sequences (including a truly magnificent slow-motion crash and a scary pilot-eject at 35,000 feet) and requisite gratuitous shots of Jessica Biel in a bikini, screenwriter W.D. Richter ("Big Trouble in Little China") sneaks in the dangers of win-at-all-costs counter-terrorism and a solid search-and-rescue third act that has little to do with the crazy runaway plane. Biel ("Blade: Trinity"), Josh Lucas ("Sweet Home Alabama") and Jamie Foxx (contracted to a supporting role before "Ray" put him on Hollywood's A-list) play Navy pilots who make up an elite emergency strike force in ultra-high-tech jets that fly in to blow up terrorists and stolen nuclear warheads on a moment's notice. The specifics of these incidents are often logically ridiculous, and they get even more so after the team is forced to accept the computerized plane into their ranks as an experiment. When a lightning strike turns its circuits into bunk ("EDI is war plane. EDI must have targets," it declares in an intimidating monotone), the fight is on to bring the thing down. Director Rob Cohen sets the stage with satellite shots showing worldwide locations, then zooms in and in and in to catch up with realistic (though CGI-generated) canyon-charging flight sequences jazzed up further with creative editing. He hires great actors like Sam Shepard and Joe Morton for supporting roles as the pilots' clashing commanders, one of whom knew the dangers of the rogue plane and let it fly anyway. The script even allows for a little honest (if overly simplistic) philosophical debate about the civilian casualties and the dehumanizing effects of turning warfare into a video game...before turning hypocritical when the pilots violate two foreign countries' airspaces, then shoot down their quite justified defenders.

"Stealth" is far more concerned with being cool than with being smart, so contrivances, plot holes and conspicuous overproduction are constantly pecking away at the movie's defendable assets. With the SPFX being so good the dog-fights and city attacks are just beautiful works of visual-art candy. There's this insane floating gas-station that of course gets "dismantled" and it was pretty nice, as improbable as it was. Even the impossible aerobatics look good. At one point EDI turns around at super sonic speed and shoots down a plane as it flies by him. EDI was also good. He's smart and evolving but they just take it as far as they could have. But the story lags so much, there's nowhere to go with it. I wish they had done some SERIOUS damage in a big city, but movies rarely go there. They have to save the day by cutting the blue wire one second before everything goes boom. The movie sucks in many ways. But for some reason I had fun anyway. Because I love jets, I love stories about AI, especially tough AI’s with emotions, because I love well-accomplished SPFX and the score rocked and rocked HARD.

A rickety-crickety analysis

By Sanket ‘trying to gain his form back’ Kambli

Our cricket team will embark on a new tour, which is just like other tours. And as usual they are carrying a huge baggage of ambitions on their shoulders. The tour to Lanka was disappointing to be modest, and it is hoped that we are able to, at least beat Zimbabweans convincingly.

But both the tours have a point in common, a point which is the most ignored one.

That common point between both the series is that, in the preceding tour, the lankans and windies had played a test series, similarly here the Kiwis and Zimbabweans have played a test series.

And like in the last one-day series, India is again directly playing a limited over series without playing a test series.

And those who think that it is enough for our team to play some practice matches with some local/amateur sides, then all of you may still remember their performances in the matches that followed some practice matches in the last tour.

So here we can clearly see the importance of playing a test series.

Being on the pitch for hours at end for 3-4 consecutive days, playing for a victory for which you have to wait for a few days. The grind of the tests helps a cricketer, to bolster his mental/physical prowess, so after a test series, where he has been able to find out what is wrong/right with him, he is able to perform more to his ability and this rubbish about form is debunked.

Whether he is on the losing/winning side, a test series is always helpful, as it triggers introspection at a personal level, whose effects are clearly seen when these cricketers take to field in a 50-over match.

These tests are much better than practice matches against reserve sides, and we can draw analogy from the concept of holding preliminary exams.

But this is driving us towards another thing called form. And this is where all the rubbish starts.

It is hard to find out; from where, this lame excuse to hide the player’s inability to perform at the highest level has come.

But it also shows how lucky our cricketers are, because if we go down at a student’s level, we as students cannot score low, and during an interview for a job, say that we were out of form.

But that is something we cannot change, so it gets added to my list of ‘things I cannot change’.

And if anyone found my write up, really dim-witted, then I would say I am just out of form.

Mumbai For Sale:?

By Sanket ‘not a salesman’ Kambli

The Maharashtra government has no plans to sell open spaces in Mumbai, as suggested by Environment Minister Ganesh Naik, Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh said.

"It was his personal opinion. Everybody has the freedom to put forth his views," Deshmukh told reporters in Mumbai.

NCP leader Naik had suggested that the state government could pay off its debt of over Rs 1.10 lakh crore from the proceeds of the sale of government lands in Mumbai.

Deputy Chief Minister R R Patil, also belonging to the NCP, said there was no question of selling off the lands.

"The reservation on land as laid out under the Town Planning Act should continue," he added

Our CM has washed away any chance for me to write, something about our environment ministers remark.

But since my creative skills are limited, I couldn't get any better topic to write on.

If the politicians level of thinking falls to my level, and they implement the revolutionary idea given by Mr. Ganesh Naik, then there are many things that would change.

Since all these places, would become private, giving its owner crazy rights, so that would spell doom, for free sight-seeing lovers like me.

We will need to pay money, to just access places like gardens, and they would say quality life comes at a price.

But then, these places may also become very clean, and well maintained, as these spaces are something they own.

And we have a tendency to take care of only those things which are our own.

It won't be public property, whose maintenance blames are shifted from citizen's to government and vice versa.

Then if some monuments or landmarks are also sold, tourist guides will tell the tourists, something along these lines.

This landmark was build by ... in... And is owned by......

In this way the government will earn a lot of money, which it says it will use to pay off its debts.

Like the say the color of money has a lot of evil powers.

It will affect the vulnerable minds of our helpless politicians, and in a fit of trance make them pocket some of the booty.

This fresh inflow of cash, will make our state rich, it would mean more development, and many more things.

Our lives will change, whether in a good way or bad is controversial.

But sweeping changes or experimentation or not our forte, so let us just stick to traditions, and just go on with life, and even I am going, after draining out your intellectual capabilities in trying to find sense in this mash up of words.

Is Mumbai Safe For Women???

Everyone loves sight seeing, you must be thinking, what has sight seeing got to do with an editorial.

When the sight seeing is accompanied by some really disturbing scenes, we know that the picture isn't perfect.

Let us stop this play with words.

The uncertainty, over the motive, behind the lethal attack on two Indian women visiting Mumbai still exists. This incident has raised multiple questions into everyone's mind.

One of them that have received maximum print space has been of women's safety in this city.

An issue, which at one moment, was seen moving out of the focus, is back, and refuses to die.

Countless women will still consider Mumbai a safe city, even at night.

But here we have to bear one thing in mind that, these remarks are still comparative. Which simply means, it is safe but not that safe?

Even though women do feel safe here, they still prefer to venture alone only when they don't have any other option.

But this nagging fear was mostly limited to post-dusk time or some deserted corners of this city.

But not any more, this brutal incident which occurred in broad daylight, in front of a sizeable crowd, has instilled more than just fear of the dark.

Which brings us to another topic, care?

This isn't even remotely related to the NGO by the same name.

How much should people or mumbaikars care about their fellow mumbaikers?

This attitude of ignoring anything that doesn't directly affect them, is spreading rapidly among many people, this thing has managed to infect everyone, irrespective of their class, creed, age, etc.

Which is a matter worth thinking about, especially in the context of our religious attitude?

Now though religion isn't something that is directly related to this write up, it is enough to prove my point.

We are proud of how religious we are, and almost all religious books, never forget to tell one thing. Compassion

There has to be compassion.

And if the meaning of compassion is not known, it is time it is found out.

Irrespective of many man-made differences, whether the hardships faced by them are directly or indirectly are going to affect you.

As long as this piece is missing from our collective minds, the foundations of not only this city, but also this country will remain shaky. So till then enjoy your shaky life, and hope/pray for a miracle brainwash.